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This manuscript develops a logarithmic mean Divisia index I (LMDI) decomposition method based on energy and CO2 allocation Sankey diagrams to analyze the contributions of various influencing factors to the growth of energy-related CO2 emissions on a national level
. Compared with previous methods, we can further consider the influences of energy supply efficiency. Two key parameters, the primary energy quantity converted factor (KPEQ) and the primary carbon dioxide emission factor (KC), were introduced to calculate the equilibrium data for the whole process of energy unitization and related CO2 emissions. The data were used to map energy and CO2 allocation Sankey diagrams. Based on these parameters, we built an LMDI method with a higher technical resolution and applied it to decompose the growth of energy-related CO2 emissions in China from 2004 to 2014. The results indicate that GDP growth per capita is the main factor driving the growth of CO2 emissions while the reduction of energy intensity, the improvement of energy supply efficiency, and the introduction of non-fossil fuels in heat and electricity generation slowed the growth of CO2 emissions. © 2018 by the authors
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Together, the regional economy, tourism industry, and ecological environment form mutually interactive and interdependent relationships
. Therefore, a better understanding of their evolutionary relationships could help reveal the spatial-temporal evolution patterns of their coordinated development and promote a successful implementation of strategies for regional sustainable development. By choosing the 14 cities (12 cities and 2 city-level prefectures) in Gansu Province as cases, this study establishes the respective evaluation indices for assessing the coordinated developmental level of the tourism system. With a combination of varying quantitative methods including order parameter analysis, fuzzy membership classification, regression analysis and gray correlation analysis, measurement models for assessing the coordinated developmental level and analyzing the associated spatial-temporal evolution patterns are established between 2000 and 2016. The conclusions are as follows. Between 2000 and 2016, the development of the regional economy, tourism industry, and ecological environment mutually reinforced one another in Gansu Province. Overall, the coordinated developmental level kept gradually improving over time. However, the development of the ecological environment lagged behind that of the tourism industry and economic growth, and synchronous and coordinated development among these three subsystems was not achieved. The overall level of coordination among 14 cities was also gradually improved, as manifested by the good level of coordinated development. However, spatial differences still existed. © 2018 by the authors
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The widely distributed glaciers over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) represent important freshwater reserves and the meltwater feeds many major rivers of Asia
. Glacier change over the QTP has shown high temporal and spatial variability in recent decades, and the driving forces of the variability are not yet clear. This study examines the area and thickness change of glaciers in the Dongkemadi (DKMD) region over central QTP by exploring all available Landsat images from 1976 to 2013 and satellite altimetry data over 2003–2008, and then analyzes the relationships between glacier variation and local and macroscale climate factors based on various remote sensing and re-analysis data. Results show that the variation of glacier area over 1976–2013 is characterized by significant shrinkage at a linear rate of −0.31 ± 0.04 km2·year−1. Glacier retreat slightly accelerated in the 2000s, and the mean glacier surface elevation lowered at a rate of −0.56 m·year−1 over 2003–2008. During the past 38 years, glacier change in the DKMD area was dominated by the variation of mean annual temperature, and was influenced by the state of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The mechanism linking climate variability over the central QTP and the state of NAO is most likely via changes in the strength of westerlies and Siberian High. We found no evidence supporting the role of summer monsoons (Indian summer monsoon and East Asian monsoon) in driving local climate and glacier changes. In addition, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) may be associated with the extreme weather (snow storm) in October 1986 and 2000 which might have led to significant glacier expansion in the following years. Further research is needed to better understand the physical mechanisms linking NAO, ENSO and climate variability over the mid-latitude central QTP
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A laboratory microcosm experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of the four single-species (Pinus tabulaeformis (Pt), Pinus radiata (Pr), Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Cj), and Ostryopsis davidiana (Od) litters from southwestern China and mixed pine-broadleaf (Pt + Cj, Pr + Cj, Pt + Od, Pr + Od) litters on soil microbial activities and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
. Microcosms with the local typical soil and litterbags containing the eight litter types were incubated with 60% water field capacity for 84 days at 20°C. The results showed that the dynamics of soil microbial parameters and DOC were influenced by the litter types with different initial chemical quality. Due to their initial poor nutrient contents, the Pt and Pr litter treatments always showed lower soil microbial activities and DOC at each sampling compared with the Cj and Od litter treatments. However, compared with the single-species pine litter treatments, the inclusion of broadleaf Cj or Od litter into pine litter significantly increased soil microbial activities, and the concentrations of soil DOC during the whole incubation process. The current work thus provided a good implication for plantation management that it should be appropriate to consider Cj as an ameliorative species or retain Od in the pine plantations to improve soil conditions
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Chen, H.; Yang, G.; Peng, C.; Zhang, Y.; Zhu, D.; Zhu, Q.; Hu, J.; Wang, M.; Zhan, W.; Zhu, E.; Bai, Z.; Li, W.; Wu, N.; Wang, Y.; Gao, Y.; Tian, J.; Kang, X.; Zhao, X.; Wu, J.
Most studies about carbon dynamics of peatlands have been focused on boreal, subarctic and tropical peatlands
. However, there is limited data about carbon dynamics of alpine peatlands, like Zoige peatlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), which are sensitive to climate change and human disturbance. We studied the role of these peat deposits on the Zoige as a C reserve and sink by measuring peat depth, radiocarbon age and peat and C accumulation rates at 7 sites. The peat depths of the sample sites ranged from 0.20 to 6.0m; the basal age on the plateau varied from 1635 to 14095calyr BP; the peataccumulation rates ranged from 0.12 to 0.85mmyr-1, and the C accumulation rates from 5 to 48 g m-2 yr-1. Based on data of field studies and remote sensing, we regarded that with 3179km2 of intact peatlands, about 1426km2 of degraded peatlands, and the total area of Zoige peatlands was 4605km2. The current peat C stock of Zoige peatlands was0.477Pg (ranging from 0.206 to 0.672Pg). We also estimated that peatlands covered an area of about 5091 km2on the QTP and sequestered 0.543PgC, 88% in Zoige and the rest in other parts of the plateau. Human activities, together with the ubiquitous warming on the plateau (temperature increased by 0.2°C per decade over the past 50 years) not only shrank the area of intact peatlands, but also caused substantial carbon releasing from peatlands.
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To understand spatial and temporal variations of nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes, we chose to measure N2O emissions from three plant stands (Kobresia tibetica, Carex muliensis, and Eleocharis valleculosa stands) in an open fen on the northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan plateau during the growing seasons from 2005 to 2007
. The overall mean N2O emission rate was about 0.018 ± 0.056 mg N m−2 h−1 during the growing seasons from 2005 to 2007, with highly spatiotemporal variations. The hummock (K. tibetica stand) emitted N2O at the highest rate about 0.025 ± 0.051 mg N m−2 h−1, followed by the hollow stands: the E. valleculosa stand about 0.012 ± 0.046 mg N m−2 h−1 and the C. muliensis stand about 0.017 ± 0.068 mg N m−2 h−1. Within each stand, we also noted significant variations of N2O emission. We also observed the significant seasonal and inter-annual variation of N2O fluxes during the study period. The highest N2O emission rate was all recorded in July or August in each year from 2005 to 2007. Compared with the mean value of 2005, we found the drought of 2006 significantly increased N2O emissions by 104 times in the E. valleculosa stand, 45 times in K. tibetica stand, and 18 times in the C. muliensis stand. Though there was no significant relation between standing water depths and N2O emissions, we still considered it related to the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil water regime under climate change
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Annotation:::: The paper focuses on the unplanned relocation of impoverished minorities, specifically the Miao ethnig group
. Using methods of sociological study and political analysis, the paper analyses ways of constructing the new countryside in one district of Kaiyuan, Yunnan where the spontaneous migrants of the Miao ethnic group live in compact communities. Through an investigation in Kaiyuan, the author finds that such spontaneous minority mountain migrants do not have any financial support and subsidies from the local government, and are not listed in the government’s poverty-alleviation programme. These migrants are also likely to arouse fierce disputes with local residents in relation to livelihood and self-development. Additionally, the traditional culture of the ethnic minorities has played an active role in the process of spontaneous immigration. Therefore, the author recommends that government sectors in Kaiyuan should implement some effective policies to ensure respect and tolerance, and to deal with the problems related to residency of the Miao spontaneous migrants. Helping them establish various kinds of organizations can contribute to the construction of a new countryside within the territory of Kaiyuan city
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Annotation:::: The paper focuses on the special characteristics, structure, function, motivation and condition of the resettlement of voluntary mountain migrants
. The aim of the paper is to make proposals for projects related to resettling voluntary mountain migrants in other parts of China.After using the method of documental study of online and written cases related to voluntary mountain migration, the paper finds that the policies related to voluntary mountain migration require improvement. The process of voluntary mountain migration near a city helps to speed up the pace of urbanization and contributes to the overall development of a city.
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